<p>Hello, I'm a high school senior who has been accepted to both the University of Central Florida and the University of Chicago. As of now, I would like to pursue a degree in Computer Science. If I go to UCF, my entire tuition for four years will be covered (through Florida PrePaid College Plan + Bright Futures Scholarship) and I would be paid $68,000 for being a National Merit Finalist. If I attend UChicago, I will take on at least $20,000 (more likely $30,000) in debt over the course of four years.</p>
<p>I would much prefer to attend UChicago, but I have heard dozens of stories of graduates being unable to buy a house or create a family due to the devastating financial circumstances that result from massive college debt. Do any of you have an opinion on where I should go?</p>
<p>Go to the school where you fit in and where you feel the CS program is the better one (I’m sorry, but I don’t really know how the CS programs rank). I don’t think $20000 is a whole lot of debt, especially when considering that UChicago, overall, is a much better school than UCF- but once again if the UCF CS program is comparable, then the choice is more difficult.</p>
<p>My advice would be to go to University of Chicago. There is a big difference between those two schools and I think $20,000 of debt could be managed for someone graduating with a computer science degree. I just think you will have a vastly different experience at Chicago and you sound like a serious student.</p>
<p>Go to Chicago. Try to keep expenses down by living off campus after your first year. UCF has the dubious distinction of being Daily Beast’s least rigorous college in the nation.</p>
<p>I agree with Yoskis. The other posters are acting like 20k is nothing, well it is. You don’t want to be burdened by that much debt graduating college. A lot of students nowadays take on massive debts and find themselves unemployed and unable to pay their loans…</p>
<p>While 20-30K is quite a bit of money, it is not a massive amount of debt for four years of college. Chicago is so vastly superior to UCF that, in my opinion, taking on the debt would be well worth it. You studied hard to get into a school the caliber of UC, don’t shortchange yourself. On the other hand, if the money upon graduation is scaring you, there are many schools superior to UCF that would also leave you with little to no debt. Did you apply to any schools other than these two?</p>
<p>I would normally advise you against taking on that much debt, but computer science is one of the most employable, in-demand majors out there and it is very likely to provide you with a stable and ample source of income. Are you 100% sure you want to study CS, though? If you are, I don’t see the harm in going to UChicago.</p>
<p>$20K is less than the average UCF student’s debt at graduation. </p>
<p>The monthly payment on a $20K loan @6.8% for 10 years is $230.16, or $2762/year.
According to Payscale data, for Chicago alumni with no advanced degree, the average starting pay is $44,900; the UCF’s average is $39,500. The difference is nearly double the yearly loan payments.</p>
<p>Those are average starting salaries for all students. According to Payscale, the average starting salary for a CS major is $58,400. That is a national average. The admission (or career services) offices may be able to help you get information about jobs landed by CS majors at both schools. I’d expect Chicago’s CS majors to be getting more desirable offers, at higher salaries, than UCF’s CS majors.</p>
<p>Given the cost differential, this is a good question. I still side with going to the UofChicago and keeping your debt down. That is too good of a school to turn down for UCF, even taking the cost into consideration.</p>
<p>“Disney WORLD. Clearly you’re not from Florida, lol.”</p>
<p>UCF? Well, we are still talking Mickey Mouse. Right?</p>
<p>Chicago will open doors for employment that are closed to UCF grads. OP will get much smaller sized classes at Chicago. Chicago’s CS courses involve team class projects that translate into real world skills. OP should visit Chicago. CS department is located in Ryerson Physical Sciences Laboratory, a Gothic building on the main quadrangles.</p>
<p>Enh, UCF isn’t a bad option, I know a guy in much the same situation who turned down Carnegie Mellon and 2 people who turned down Emory to go there. There is something to be said for graduating debt free, probably getting a good internship/jobs with all the computer corporations in the area, and almost certainly graduating top of your class, which can be better than being mediocre at a top school (not that I think you will be). Also you wouldn’t spend 4 winters being completely miserable</p>